Memphis Law
by Ms Isabella
Summary: Elijah's childhood friend and next door neighbor hires him. Early flashback, then continuing into the present. I hope you enjoy. Chapter 3 up now.
1. Chapter 1

Memphis Law

Chapter 1

_Three years ago, June 2016_

_Kendall McRae shifted nervously in the waiting room chair. She flipped through a magazine, but it didn't hold her interest. She couldn't concentrate. She breathed a sigh of relief when her phone buzzed. She opened her purse and fished around. Locating the phone, she pulled it out and unlocked the screen. _

_She smiled when she saw the text sender and frowned after she read it. _

_I heard what happened. Are you okay?_

'_No, my dear, I am not okay, but I can't tell you that,' she thought. _

_She looked up as someone approached her. _

"_Kendall," he greeted as he kissed her cheek. "It's good to see you. Let's talk in my office."_

_She smiled. "Elijah, it's always a pleasure to see you." _

_She followed him into his office, and he motioned for her to sit in one of his client chairs. _

"_Ordinarily, I'd take his meeting in the conference room with Sydney and Jake, but I thought you would like to talk in private." _

"_You're right about that." _

"_So, tell me what happened," he said as he took a seat behind his desk. _

"_Do you want the RDCV, or the whole ugly story?" she asked. _

"_RDCV?" _

"_Reader's Digest Condensed Version," she supplied. _

"_You get straight to the point." _

"_I don't want to waste your time if you can't help me. And if you can't, I need to find someone who can."_

_Elijah looked over at her, taking her in with his eyes. Kendall had always been pretty, even as a gangly teenager. Looking at her, sitting across his desk, she was defeated. It was almost like someone had taken a pin and burst the enthusiasm and high energy right out of her. It made him sad. Up until she had made this appointment to see him, she had been a force to be reckoned with. Now, she was beaten down and he assumed depressed. _

"_They fired me this morning." _

_She said it simply and matter of factly. _

"_They must have had a reason," he reminded. _

"_Yeah, they did. They gave me the 'we're taking the hospital in another direction' bullshit speech. You and I both know its retaliation for not wanting to merge with Baptist. The board wanted it. I disagreed. A merger wasn't in Methodist's best interest. You know as well as I do, it's going to be a cluster when it happens." _

_She stood from her chair and started pacing. She stopped and looked him in the eye. "I also fired Dan Donovan." _

_His eyes opened wide. "You did what?" _

_Dan Donovan was a legend in cardiac circles. He was easily in the top five of cardiologists. He brought in cases from all over the world, and everyone loved him. _

"_I had to. He was committing Medicare fraud. I caught him." _

_He blew out a breath. "Damn, girl, you not only stepped in it, you dumped the whole manure barrel over your head, and you didn't come out smelling like a rose." _

"_You always had a colorful way with words, Elijah. Unfortunately, you're right. I did step in it. Hell, I practically rolled in it. But I did what I had to do, and I don't regret it. Not for one second. I'll be damned if someone on my former staff is going to commit a crime and I'm just going to look the other way. Not happening." _

"_So, what do you want from me?" _

"_I want to retain you. I'll be damned if I'm going to let those bastards fire me over this. I did nothing wrong and they know it. They just did it because I fired one of their golf buddies, and you know how the good old boys network works."_

"_Kendall, you know this might be an uphill battle. I'm sure the hospital has covered their butts." _

_She blew out a sigh, lowered her head for a few seconds, then looked up to face him. _

"_So, you won't help me?" _

"_I didn't say that. I said it might be a bigger fight than you anticipated." _

"_So, you will help me?" _

"_Let's discuss this in detail over lunch, shall we? Knowing you, you didn't eat this morning, and you look like you're going to blow away with the next strong wind." _

"_Such a charmer, Elijah. You always were." _

_He smiled. "For you, my dear, anything." _

"_Better watch it. You don't want Sydney and Della hearing you say that." _

_He stood up from his chair. "So, lunch?"_

_She nodded. "Yes, lunch. I'm starving." _

_He opened the door for her, and she exited. She took a deep breath and crossed the lobby. She had a feeling for the first time that day, things were going to be all right. _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_June 2016_

_Elijah escorted Kendall inside the diner and waited while she slid into the booth. He could have taken her anywhere for lunch, but he knew she needed comfort food. _

_She stared at the menu, not finding what she was hoping to find. _

"_They make great milkshakes," Elijah suggested. _

_She closed the menu. "You know me too well." _

"_It's not too difficult. I've known you your whole life." _

_She bit her lip. He spoke the truth. They had grown up next door to each other, attended school, Church, and college together. She was there when he married Carolyn and when Sydney was adopted. He was there when she married Bob, and when Matthew & Harper Lee were born. Their parents were neighbors and the best of friends for as long as she could remember. _

_Her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her purse and sighed. _

"_Let me guess. Harper Lee." _

_She nodded and blew out a sigh. "I haven't answered her past three texts, so she's pushing the panic button."_

"_Aw, Kendall, she's just worried about her Mama is all." _

"_Her Mama is worried about her Mama. For the first time in thirty-five years, I don't have a job to go to. It's a scary thought." _

_Elijah reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Don't worry. I've got you. We'll make it right somehow. Just tell me what you want."_

"_Are you ready to order?" their waitress asked. _

_Elijah withdrew his hand from hers. "Two cheeseburger platters and two chocolate milkshakes." _

_She raised an eyebrow. _

"_Come on Kendall, live a little. I'm sure you haven't had a milkshake since high school." _

"_You'd be right." _

"_Had to keep that girlish figure, right?" he teased. _

"_Something like that. Especially if you wanted to catch a husband."_

"_Well, you caught him. You've kept him. You had two babies with him." _

_She looked over at him. "Do we have a case or not?" _

"_We would have to prove it. It might be difficult." _

"_I've got the proof that Donovan was committing insurance fraud. Does that help?"_

"_It helps a lot, but I'd have to look at it to be certain. I'm assuming you want to go for wrongful termination, and you'd like your job back?"_

"_Yes and no. Yes, to wrongful termination. No to wanting my job back."_

_He gave her a look of shock. She held up her hand. _

"_Let me finish. I don't want my job back because if we won this thing, I'd go back. They'd still be pushing to merge and I'd still be against it. The board and HR would use that to start building a trail so they could legitimately fire me all over again. I've seen it happen, and I don't want to put my family through that. I don't think I'm strong enough to go through this again." _

"_Kendall, you're one of the strongest, fiercest, most determined women I know. You'll get through this and so much more. You'll see." _

_She lifted her head to meet his gaze. "I wish I had your confidence, Elijah." _

"_You do. You're just not seeing it right now." He winked. "So, what's your next step? Are you going to look for another hospital administrator job?" _

"_No. I'm going to go to law school. I'm going to be a lawyer, Elijah." _


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

April 2019

Cecil C. Humphries School of Law

Old Federal Courtroom,

Memphis, TN

Kendall nervously set out her legal pads, note cards, pens, markers, highlighters, and pencils on the table in front of her. She bit her lip, not understanding where the nerves were coming from. She had presented many speeches at numerous hospital board meetings over the years. She was used to public speaking. This time, it was different. This was the first of her three mock trials that were required for graduation. She had prepared extensively, but she couldn't help but feel like she had left something out. She closed her eyes and said a prayer. As she finished, she felt a hand on her shoulder and a kiss on her cheek. She looked up to find Elijah pulling out the chair beside her.

"Hello, Beautiful," he greeted.

She smiled when she realized he had used her father's greeting. Every time her father greeted her from childhood to adulthood, he always said "Hello, Beautiful." He still did.

"Elijah! What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised and shocked.

Inwardly, her stomach started flipping over and she felt the egg sandwich and coffee she had eaten for breakfast starting to roll. Elijah Strait was the one person she did not want to see today. She was too nervous, and she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of him.

"You know I'm a guest lecturer."

"Of course. It's the highlight of the semester when you come to lecture. Everyone loves you."

"Well today, I'm guest advisor. I watch and observe a few students and debrief with them later."

She blew out a sigh and bit her lip. She knew he was an excellent attorney. She admired him for the cases he took on - and won. Civil Rights case wins were rare, especially in the South, but Elijah rarely lost. Ever since she started law school, she wanted to work for him. She hadn't told him because she didn't want to put him on the spot and have him hire her out of pity. She also didn't want to take advantage of their friendship.

"And just your luck, you get me," she joked.

"I requested you," he said quietly.

She swallowed. Hard. She felt the air sucking out of her lungs. Her stomach flopped again, and she wondered if she was going to have to make a trip to the bathroom.

"OK. Why?" she finally asked.

"We'll talk later, OK?"

She nodded. "Sure," she said uncertainly.

Why Elijah Strait would want to talk to her after he mock trial was beyond her. She felt her hands starting to shake. In all the years she had known him, he had never made her nervous. He had her close to terrified.

"So, tell me about your case."

She gave him the history and run down of the case. He stopped only to ask questions about witnesses, her strategy, and how she planned to start with her opening statement. He asked her to tell him her opening statement. She did. She felt relieved when he nodded.

"It sounds like you prepped well."

"I hope so. Each trial is 20% of you grade. I have to do well. Especially with graduation in two months."

"Do you have a job lined up?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. I've interviewed at the DA's office and with St. Jude's. They're very interested. Especially since I have the background in hospital administration."

"Want some advice?"

"Always."

"Don't let them lowball you on salary. You may be a new attorney, but you have all those years as hospital administrator under your belt. They'll probably make you a ridiculously low offer because they're nonprofit and private and expect you to take it out of the goodness of your heart. Just make sure it's enough for you to live on and pay your student loans. And don't forget they should be paying for two degrees."

"I'll consider that."

She hadn't thought about what he had just said. He probably was right. Employers were always trying to get the best for as cheaply as they could.

The courtroom started to fill. Elijah gave her hand a squeeze. "Relax. You've got this."


End file.
